clouds of sils maria

Over the past 14 years that I’ve been at THE NEON, THE D TRAIN ranks as one of the biggest box office disappointments we’ve ever had. We had to lose it quickly. Today, we opened a new film with Juliette Binoche and Kristen Stewart – CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA. (Stewart became the first American to ever win a Cesar award for her role in this film. The Cesar Awards are France’s equivalent to our Academy Awards.) In addition, we will open the 40th Anniversary Restoration of GREY GARDENS – the documentary that became the basis for numerous books, an HBO narrative film and even a Broadway musical. We will continue our run of WHILE WE’RE YOUNG for one more week. Next week, we’ll open the gorgeous new film FAR FROM THE MADDING CROWD!

Synopsis for CLOUDS OF SILS MARIA: “Maria Enders (Juliette Binoche) is an actress at the peak of her international career who is asked to perform in a revival of the play that made her famous twenty years earlier. Back then she played the role of Sigrid, an alluring young woman who disarms and eventually drives her boss Helena to suicide. Now she is being asked to step into the other role, that of the older Helena. She departs with her assistant (Kristen Stewart) to rehearse in Sils Maria, a remote region of the Alps. A young Hollywood starlet with a penchant for scandal (Chloe Grace Moretz) is to take on the role of Sigrid, and Maria finds herself on the other side of the mirror, face to face with an ambiguously charming woman who is, in essence, an unsettling reflection of herself. (Sundance Selects) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

Synopsis for GREY GARDENS: The original documentary from 1975 has received a 40th Anniversary Restoration! This is one of my favorite movies. In fact, when the musical adaptation premiered (before its move to Broadway), I scurried to NYC to see it. “Meet Big and Little Edie Beale: mother and daughter, high-society dropouts, and reclusive cousins of Jackie Onassis. The two manage to thrive together amid the decay and disorder of their East Hampton, New York, mansion, making for an eerily ramshackle echo of the American Camelot. An impossibly intimate portrait, this 1976 documentary by Albert and David Maysles, codirected by Ellen Hovde and Muffie Meyer, quickly became a cult classic and established Little Edie as a fashion icon and philosopher queen.” (taken from Janus Films) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

“Stivers School for the Arts-Film & Animation Studio Presents THE SHOWCASE. This compilation of short films includes live action & animation and ranges from comedy to documentary. Some of these films have already won regional and state awards. Following the show, there will be a Q & A with the student filmmakers. All proceeds go towards updating equipment in the Stivers Film and Animation studio. The Showcase runs one night only – Wednesday, May 20th at 7:30pm. Tickets are$5.00 in advance and $7.00 on the day of the event.. Tickets are now available at THE NEON’s box office and Stivers School for the Arts. Please join us for an evening of entertainment as we celebrate this next generation of filmmakers.” (taken from press release)

On Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30, T.J.’s Place of Hope will host a screening of I AM A GIRL. This film is “an inspirational feature length documentary that paints a clear picture of the reality of what it means to be a girl in the 21st century. Feminism may have promised equality and sought a better and fairer world for women but the reality is that girls make up almost a quarter of the world’s population yet still face the greatest discrimination of any group in the world. Technology and science offer unimaginable potential but we still struggle to ensure men and women are afforded equal opportunities. Yet in spite of these obstacles, girls have found extraordinary ways to persevere and in our documentary we hear their stories of strength, hope, courage and a refusal to be second best.” (taken from Gathr press notes) Advanced tickets are $10 each and must be purchased on Gathr’s website. If tickets remain on the day of the event, they will be available at our box office one hour before the screening. Click this LINK to visit the site and purchase your ticket.

Carol Quinones is trying to bring a special, one-time screening of TRACE AMOUNTS to town on Wednesday, June 10 at 7:30. That said, 50 tickets need to be reserved by May 30 in order to proceed. Click this LINK to reserve your ticket – they’re $12.50 each. “After recovering from a sickness that would bring him to the edge of despair, Eric Gladen began researching the science behind what had made him so sick. His research led him straight into one of the biggest medical debates of all time, the question of whether or not childhood vaccines are causing Autism. He would end up quitting his career, moving into an RV, and traveling the country interviewing experts and piecing together thousands of studies and leaked documents. But Eric wasn’t focused on the vaccines themselves, he was focused on something that belongs nowhere near vaccines- mercury.”

Mark your calendars now for a special screening of a new, crowd-pleasing documentary – TAB HUNTER CONFIDENTIAL. It will screen Thursday, June 18 at 7:30 (tickets $8 each). I’ll include more details in next week’s newsletter.

Today we opened the Sundance hit THE D TRAIN – a new comedy starring Jack Black and James Marsden. On Wednesday, May 13, we will have a one-night-only screening of I’M STILL HERE: ELAINE PAIGE. In addition, this week we’re holding onto my favorite comedy in a long, long time – WHILE WE’RE YOUNG (starring Ben Stiller and Naomi Watts) and got the last two films for this year’s DAYTON JEWISH FILM FESTIVAL.GREY GARDENS (the original) starts next Friday!

Synopsis for THE D TRAIN: “All his life, Dan Landsman (Jack Black) has never been the cool guy. That’s about to change – if he can convince Oliver Lawless (James Marsden), the most popular guy from his high school who’s now the face of a national Banana Boat ad campaign, to show up with him to their class reunion. A man on a mission, Dan travels from Pittsburgh to LA and spins a web of lies to recruit Lawless. But he gets more than he bargains for as the unpredictable Lawless proceeds to take over his home, career, and entire life.” (IFC Films) Click this LINK to visit the film’s official site.

THE DAYTON JEWISH INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL has a terrific line-up this year, and it is already at the half-way point. Here’s a list of remaining screenings at THE NEON:
Tue, May 12 at 7:15 – FOR A WOMAN
Thu, May 14 at 7:15 – RUN BOY RUN
The official website for the festival has lots more details. You can read about all the films, watch trailers and discover all that the festival has to offer. Check it out by visiting this LINK.

On Wednesday, May 13 at 7:30, we will have a one-time screening of I’M STILL HERE – ELAINE PAIGE AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL. Tickets are just now starting to move! “The incomparable Elaine Paige brings her sell-out Farewell Concert from the Royal Albert Hall to the big screen accompanied by a live orchestra featuring special guests. Filmed for cinema, the concert features the BBC Concert Orchestra, with Elaine performing the highlights of her extraordinary 50 year career, including “Memory,” “I Know Him so Well” and “As If We Never Said Goodbye.” The evening will finish with special footage including a Q&A and more intimate performance with special guests recently captured in London.” (taken from press notes) General Admission tickets just $12. Senior tickets just $10. Tickets for this event can be purchased on-line via this LINK. They are also available at our box office (without the surcharge).

“Stivers School for the Arts-Film & Animation Studio Presents THE SHOWCASE. This compilation of short films includes live action & animation and ranges from comedy to documentary. Some of these films have already won regional and state awards. Following the show, there will be a Q & A with the student filmmakers. All proceeds go towards updating equipment in the Stivers Film and Animation studio. The Showcase runs one night only – Wednesday, May 20th at 7:30pm. Tickets are$5.00 in advance and $7.00 on the day of the event.. Tickets are now available at THE NEON’s box office and Stivers School for the Arts. Please join us for an evening of entertainment as we celebrate this next generation of filmmakers.” (taken from press release)

On Tuesday, May 26 at 7:30, T.J.’s Place of Hope will host a screening of I AM A GIRL. This film is “an inspirational feature length documentary that paints a clear picture of the reality of what it means to be a girl in the 21st century. Feminism may have promised equality and sought a better and fairer world for women but the reality is that girls make up almost a quarter of the world’s population yet still face the greatest discrimination of any group in the world. Technology and science offer unimaginable potential but we still struggle to ensure men and women are afforded equal opportunities. Yet in spite of these obstacles, girls have found extraordinary ways to persevere and in our documentary we hear their stories of strength, hope, courage and a refusal to be second best.” (taken from Gathr press notes) Advanced tickets are $10 each and must be purchased on Gathr’s website. If tickets remain on the day of the event, they will be available at our box office one hour before the screening. Click this LINK to visit the site and purchase your ticket.

Next Friday, we will begin limited screenings of the newly restored, 40th Anniversary edition of GREY GARDENS – one of my favorite documentaries of all time. I’ve heard people in our lobby say “I saw that on HBO, why are they playing it?” This isn’t the made for HBO narrative film starring Drew Barrymore & Jessica Lang, this is the original documentary on which that film was based. This film has been the basis for numerous books, the HBO film and even a Broadway musical. You’ll not want to miss the opportunity to see this classic film on a big screen!